Means for holding and transporting wire



(No Model.)

H. ROBERTS.

MEANS FOR HOLDING AND TBANSPORTING WIRE,

Patented June 6 1882.

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HENRY ROBERTS, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR HOLDING AND TRANSPORTlNG WIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Batent No. 259,214, dated June 6, 1882. Application filed April 21, 1882. (No model.)

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ROBERTS, of Pittsburg, Allegheny county, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MeansforHolding and Transporting Wire, of which the following is a specification.

The invention is intended more particularly to facilitate the handling of wire in putting in and taking out of the annealing-pots at the several stages of drawing, and for putting in and taking out of theacid bath in the removal of the scale. I will describe it as applied in manipulating the wire in the process of annealis the operation has been heretofore usually conducted, the wires made in coils, without any additional support, are piled one upon another regularly or irregularly in the annealing-pot, and, after having been subjected to the required high temperature for a sufficient length of time andallowed to partially cool down again, are removed by the aid of hooks. It is almost unavoidable in such operatin g that the hooks will sometimes engage with portions or the whole of two or more coils, and the bends and dis- 'tortions induced in the wire at this stage add seriously to the chances of entanglement and difficulty in the subsequent operations. Several men are required to withdraw the wire in this manner, and the whole operation of handling is tedious and troublesome. I hold the wires in coils as usual, but supported'on internal cylinders. These cylinders or drums are each of sufficient length to receive several coils, one upon another, all held parallel to each other and resting upon a removable support or series of supports at the base. The cylinder is thus loaded at the wire-drawing room, and is moved with great facility with a number of others on trucks or hand -cars to the annealing-room, where it is lowered into the annealingpot bya crane or lowering-tackle from above. My cylinder holds its several coils of wire truly supported during the annealing process. It is provided with an internal bail for convenient handling by the crane. When each slightly-cooled mass is lifted from the annealing-pot and lowered upon the ground the removable support at the base is detached and the cylinder lifted smoothly out from the pile of coils. The removable support is again attached, and itis ready to receive another series of coils and to be again placed in the annealing-pot and the operation repeated. I make the detachable supports at the base in the form of a series of pins removable by simply drawing-out from the correspondinglyshaped recesses in the re-enforces provided for the same in the body of the cylinder. I make each of these recesses tapering at its inner end, so as to prevent the pushing in of the pins too far by an ignorant workman, which might result in the premature dumping of the load. The bottom of my cylinder is open and the interior unobstructed, allowing a free circulation of the hot gas, so that the interior may become heated as soon as the exterior. I

sider thebest means of carrying out the in vention.

The accompanying drawings 'form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my cylinder. Fig. 2 shows the annealing-pot in section andtheholding-cylinderin elevation. Fig. 3 is a. detail.

Similarletters ofreference indicate like parts in all the figures.

A is the cylinder, certain portions being indicated,when necessary, by additional marks, as A A B is the bail, applied in the interior of the cylinder and engaged with internal projection or eyes, A. There is a quick bend in the center, as shown.

D D, &c., are radial pins, provided each with an eye at the outer end for convenient en gagement for withdrawing. Th ese pins are slightly pointed and applyin holes in re-enforced portions A near the base of the-cylinder. The bottom rim has a flange, A which is continued around between the re-enforces A The several coils of wire are marked m. The

cylinder A is cast with a smooth exterior a little smaller than the interiors of the coils of wire. In practice the several coils of wire remain distinct. This condition is indicated in the drawings somewhat exaggerated.

E is an ordinary annealing-pot. The cylindersA are made of such depth that the ordinary 5 annealing-pot will receive three, placed one upon another. Theinternalre-enforces,A,and flange or rim A allow these cylinders to sit one upon another reliably, even if they are carelessly placed with their axes considerably to out of line.

In operating, the annealing-pot is heated and closed by a cover, (not represented,) in the ordinary manner. The cylinders A with their pins D in position receive the several coils of wire at, and are each successively lifted by the engagement with their several bails B of books from a crane, (not represented,) and placed one upon another in the several annealing-pots E, the hook disengaged, and each bail B allowed to drop intothe position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the heat has been maintained for a snfiicient time the cover is removed, the whole sufficiently cooled, and the several bails B successively engaged by the hook of the 2 5 lifting apparatus and the cylinders A with their loads lifted out. Then the successive removals of the pins D allow the coils of wire m to drop a little and rest upon the floor, after which the cylinders are quietly lifted out and the wire coils left to further cool at leisure. The form of the bail insures that the engaging hook (not shown) will slip into the central po sition and lift the mass centrally, while it is always ready to receive and engage the hook at any point where it may be presented.

Modifications may be made in the details. There may be more than four of the pins D or a less number-even as small as two or one may suffice-provided always that the cylinder A is of a size to nearly fill the interiors of the coils m.

The bail B may be inserted rigidly by placing it sufficiently lower, so that the bight or eye with which the hook engages is certain to be central, and is sufficiently low to be protected 5 within the cylinder.

For use in the acid bath the cylinder A should be made of a material which will endure the acid. It is not for such use important that the cylinder shall be able to endure heat. For use with the annealing process I can, if desired, form the cylinders with perforations or vertical slots, thus making them practically open-work, to better allow of a circulation of the heated gases.

I claim as my invention 1. The cylinder A, having an open passage through its iuterior,a smooth exterior, and an interior bail, B, in combination with the removable support or supports D, adapted to serve relatively to each other and to the coils of wire m, substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

2. The cylinder A, having its interior open quite through, to facilitate heating and cooling, in combination with the removable support or supports D, to receive and discharge the wire coils m, as herein specified.

3. The cylinder A, with an ample passage through its interior, internal projections, A, to engage an internal bail, hollow re-enforces A and internal bottom rim, A, in combination with a hinged bail, B, extending across the interior,-aud having a quick bend at its center, and with pins D, adapted for ready withdrawal, 75 all arranged to serve relatively to each other and to a series of coils of wire, at, as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Pittsbnrg, this 17th day of April, 1882, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY ROBERTS. Witnesses:

FRED Caron, HERMAN W. VILLEE. 

